1. UWE Bristol External Examiners day 27th January 2016
Jenny Dye, Director of Quality, Learning and Teaching, Health & Applied Sciences
Judith Ritchie, Director of Quality and Enhancement, Environment & Technology

2. External Examiners
Field EE appointed with responsibility for a module or specified group of modules within a named field.
Chief EE appointed to each named modular scheme. A Chief EE shall not have responsibility for any field in that modular scheme or in any other modular scheme.
Linear EE: Single tier exam boards.
Programme EE pilot update

3. Roles and Responsibilities of the Field External Examiner
Ensure assessments are properly conducted
Ensure standards/levels are appropriate
Participate in Field Board decision-making e.g. consideration of any adverse cohort circumstances
Report on the effectiveness of assessments and the conduct of the examining board
Report any matters of serious concern arising from the assessments which put at risk the module standard 3

4. Activities may include:
Reviewing assessment tasks
Sampling the marking of student work
Expected documentation
Placement visits for professional practice modules
Hearing the student voice
Attending Examination Boards
Acting as a critical friend to the module / programme team
Writing an Annual Report for the University

5. The Assessment Cycle Policy
All quality processes related to assessment setting and marking will be found in the ‘Assessment Cycle’
Full cycle
Internal marking options
Moderation requirements
Guidance on sample selected
Aggregate mark guidance
Links to annual monitoring

6. Assessment Cycle Policy External moderation summary;
EE sample moderation; 10% of cohort scripts; min 6 max 12
Where EE has oversight of collaborative provision they should also receive a sample as above, clearly identified as collaborative provision.
EE provided with related documentation e.g. module handbook, evidence of moderation, assessment, marking criteria.

7. Field EEs are not permitted to;
Attend Award Boards (unless a PSRB requirement/appointed as Programme EE also)
Be involved in Award Board decisions such as consideration of EC’s, conferment of awards, condonement
to change a mark for an individual student.

8. Roles and responsibilities of the Chief (Programme) EE
To ensure that assessment processes are fair and rigorous across a group of programmes (modular scheme)
To attend award boards and ensure that recommendations for progression and awards have been reached in accordance with Academic Regulations

9. Programme external examiner pilot. .
Linear external examiners: single tier exam boards
Programme External examiner pilot:
Improve programme level statistical data at award boards
Enable more detailed comparative reflection of student performance at programme level particularly with collaborative provision.
Result:
Continue to improve on statistical data to enhance quality discussion at award board level
Facilitate deeper levels of discussion with extending chief examiner role increase numbers of chiefs.

10. Regulations Three types of modules;
Standard/project/professional practice
Late Work
Extensions reasonable adjustments.
Extenuating Circumstances
Adverse Group Circumstances
Assessment Offences
Other policies.

11. Field/Award workshop Any questions?
More specific details, e.g. when and how Field EEs have access to student work, can be provided in afternoon workshop
Any questions?

12. Case 1
MCQ paper – 50% weighting of a module assessment; post exam it appears that one seminar group (one sixth of the cohort) were shown a previous MCQ paper in their pre exam revision session. When this paper was compared to the paper actually sat, ¾ of the questions were identical. What advice might you give the module team?

13. Case 2 What are your questions/considerations?
You are EE for a module that is delivered at UWE and at 2 FE colleges (collaborative provision).
During external moderation you note the following statistics;
What are your questions/considerations?
HE/FE
Average mark
Pass rate
UWE
58.4%
88%
FE (A)
65.5%
90%
FE (B)
47.9%
100%

14. Case 3
Module Y assessment = essay (100% weighting); At the Field Board the module leader states that potentially all students have been disadvantaged as a key member of staff was absent through sickness for most of the module run, the module leader proposes that all students should either have their mark raised by 5% or 5 marks to compensate. What would you expect the chair to do and how might you contribute?

15. Case 4
The majority of the students on a programme work for a government agency. A letter is received from their manager, explaining that many of the students had an excessive workload because of a crisis situation during the exam period. An extension is suggested for all affected assessments.
4 assessments are potentially affected:
2 exams: sat just before request received
1 assessment: deadline just passed
1 assessment: deadline a week after request received.
The programme leader contacts you as EE of the modules affected, what is your role?

16. Considerations
Analysis of student performance – current and comparable cohorts
Root cause analysis
%age versus mark uplift
Impact of changing marks – fail ↔ pass
Rigour; have LO’s, professional standards been met
Other solutions;
No action, resit uncapped etc